Dark and thick forest. A figure was running for his life.
Wu Ji was darting between the trees like crazy. Behind him, he could faintly hear the shouts of the Unified Nation soldiers searching for him, along with the snap of breaking branches.
"Crap! They're catching up!" Wu Ji gritted his teeth, not daring to slow down.
As he ran, his mind kept going back to that strange power.
What was that? That wasn't my own strength... He felt confused and uneasy. He never imagined he had such explosive power — the ability to move faster and hit harder than any normal person in an instant.
What surprised him even more was that, in this pitch-black forest, he could see everything around him clearly, like he had night vision. What looked completely dark to others was as bright as morning to him, letting him dodge obstacles easily and weave through the trees.
But while he was thinking, he wasn't paying attention. His foot slipped.
"Ah!"
Wu Ji yelped as he lost his balance and tumbled down a slope.
The slope wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either. About forty-five degrees steep, maybe ten meters long. It was covered in thick leaves and soft dirt, with some exposed roots and rocks sticking out.
Wu Ji rolled and flipped down the slope, his body hitting the ground over and over. Pain washed over him like waves.
After what felt like forever, he finally stopped. His whole body felt like it had fallen apart — sore as hell.
He struggled to his feet and found himself near a somewhat hidden ditch. He could hear the sound of flowing water.
He looked toward the sound and saw a small stream not far away. He hid in the ditch and looked up at the cliff above. A few Unified Nation soldiers were standing up there.
He held his breath and didn't move a muscle.
The soldiers searched around with their guns for a while. They didn't find Wu Ji, so they left.
Wu Ji waited until they were far away before finally relaxing. Before he knew it, he passed out from exhaustion and fell asleep.
The next day, Wu Ji woke up feeling fully rested.
That's when he noticed his injuries. Aside from a few scrapes and bruises, he was basically unharmed. That surprised him.
Is this... because of that power too? He wondered.
Eh, whatever. Thinking about it won't help. He pushed the thoughts aside, ate some dry rations, and kept going.
He walked out of the forest, pulled out his phone, opened the map, checked his direction, and headed toward Silent Fog Village.
Meanwhile, back in Twilight Town.
Inside the Iron Blood Squad's office, the atmosphere was tense and heavy.
Karl sat at his desk, his face dark as hell.
"You bunch of useless idiots! Can't even catch one kid!" He was shouting so hard, spit was flying onto the faces of the soldiers standing in front of him.
The soldiers kept their heads down, not daring to make a sound, just letting Karl tear into them.
"I'm ordering you — go search that forest again, from top to bottom. Even if you have to go all the way to that ruin, find him!" Karl roared.
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers answered in unison, then quickly hurried out of the office.
Karl rubbed his forehead, feeling exhausted. He knew this was no small matter. That boy didn't just have crazy powers — he might also be connected to the resistance hiding in Twilight Town.
He looked up at the two people standing in the corner of the room.
One was the mayor of Twilight Town, Alice. The other was the vice-captain of the Iron Blood Squad's Third Unit — Goran.
"Mayor Alice," Karl's tone softened a bit. "Any unusual activity in town lately?"
Alice was a slim, good-looking middle-aged woman. She wore a well-tailored dress and had on delicate makeup, looking elegant and capable. But her eyes held a hint of slyness that was hard to notice.
"Everything's normal, Commander Karl," Alice said with a gentle smile, her voice soft and sweet. "The townspeople are behaving themselves. No suspicious behavior."
Karl gave her a cold, sharp look. "That had better be true." He paused, then added, "I want you to keep a close eye on everything happening in town. If you see anyone suspicious, report to me immediately."
"Don't worry, Commander Karl. I'll do my best to cooperate," Alice replied respectfully.
Karl turned to the Iron Blood Squad's vice-captain standing next to Alice.
This vice-captain wasn't human. He was an Enemy — looked like a gargoyle.
He had a human-like body, but his skin was as hard as rock, grayish-brown. He had a pair of curved horns on his head and huge bat wings on his back. The edges of the wings were lined with jagged bone spikes. His mouth was full of sharp teeth, and a cruel smile hung at the corner of his lips.
He also had a giant stone-bladed battle axe resting on his shoulder. He could pour his power into the axe to unleash devastating strength.
"Goran," Karl's voice turned harsh. "From now on, step up patrols in town. Hunt down any resistance members hiding out there."
"Yes, sir!" Goran answered without hesitation, his voice low and raspy.
Karl waved his hand, signaling them to leave.
After Alice and the vice-captain left, Karl sat alone in his office, lost in thought.
"Twilight Town... getting more and more restless," he muttered.
He felt uneasy. He had a feeling that the situation in Twilight Town was slipping out of his control.
He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
The call connected quickly. A low, raspy voice came through: "Karl. What is it?"
"Lord Soulvore," Karl's tone became respectful. "Something unusual has happened in Twilight Town. I need your help."
"Oh? Tell me." Soulvore's voice sounded a bit casual.
"A boy escaped from Twilight Town tonight," Karl briefly explained what happened. "He has some kind of strange power — he can move and hit way faster and harder than a normal person in an instant."
"Strange power..." Soulvore's voice suddenly turned serious. "Got it. I'll send more men to Twilight Town to help you catch the boy."
"Thank you, Lord Soulvore!" Karl said gratefully.
"Don't mention it," Soulvore said flatly. "By the way, those survivors from Fo Shan have been getting restless again. I'm dealing with some things here. Might be a few days before I can get to Twilight Town."
"Survivors from Fo Shan..." Karl's frown deepened.
Just then, a blood-curdling scream came from the other end of the line.
Karl's face went pale. He gripped his phone tightly, sweat beading on his forehead. He knew — Soulvore was fighting the survivors from Fo Shan right now.
"Lord Soulvore, what's happening?" Karl couldn't help asking.
"Nothing. Just a little trouble," Soulvore's voice sounded completely unconcerned. "Anyway, that's it. I've got things to handle."
With that, Soulvore hung up.
Karl put down his phone, his face white, his whole body trembling. He could only imagine how brutal that fight on the other end of the line must have been.
ns216.73.217.39da2
and then Add to home screen.